BALTIMORE — Maybe Paulo Lobo should have stuck with his initial decision to keep Gayego out of the Preakness.
Frustrated over finishing 17th in the Kentucky Derby, Lobo had no desire for a quick rematch. But after taking into account Gayego’s poor start at Churchill Downs and the horse’s stellar health, the trainer opted to join the Preakness.It turned out to be the wrong move. Big Brown won Saturday, and Gayego flopped again. Gayego soared into the lead at the outset and remained in front at the three-quarter pole. But it all came apart after that, and the second-favorite in the field (at 9-1) faded miserably to finish 12th in the 13-horse field.
“It’s very disappointing. He just doesn’t have it yet,” jockey Mike Smith said. “He made the lead easy, but no response to pressure.” There will be no rematch in the Belmont. “He did not run as we expected,” Lobo said. “At this point, we’re going to rest him up.”
Dreaming pays off.
Pays to Dream rallied to pull off an upset in the $250,000 Dixie Stakes, the richest race on the Preakness undercard.
The 1 1/8-mile turf race was up for grabs turning for home until Pays to Dream, with Javier Castellano aboard, emerged from the pack. They quickly sprinted clear, winning by 7 1/2 lengths over Stay Close, with the pacesetting Ra Der Dean holding on for third.
The gelding paid $40.40 in posting his fifth victory in 13 starts. The time was 1:54.74.
In the other undercard stakes, Starforaday rallied to beat Suave Jazz by a neck in the $100,000 Maryland Sprint Handicap. Starforaday paid $8.20 to win, running six furlongs on the fast track in 1:09.56.
Footnotes.
IEAH Stables co-owner Michael Iavarone signed a multimillion dollar deal that will have Big Brown stand at stud at Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Ky., whenever the potential Triple Crown winner’s career ends.
“He’s a magnificent physical specimen. He’s a dominant athlete, really,” said Henry Clay, president of Three Chimneys. “An incredible talent. And I think his mind is extraordinary. He sort of knows he’s good.”
• The attendance and handle figures for Preakness Day were both the fifth highest at Pimlico The crowd was 112,222, the lowest turnout after four straight years of increases. The total handle, including bets made around the country, was $73,457,510.
